Bushwalk Australia

Not sure if this was mentioned in earlier posts but I can't find it - if it has forgive me if I'm repeating anything.
Just noticed that a new record FKT for the AAWT was recently made in March '16 for the full AAWT unassisted of 11days and 18hours! (Well they had personally placed 4 drop boxes prior)
by Paul Cuthbert of Canberra. Paul and Tom Brazier (both well known UltraTrail runners here in Australia) set out from Walhalla together but unfortunately Tom had to pull out at Pole333 due achilles injury.
Pack weights of between ~6kgs and 10kgs!

Other AAWT fastest known times:
Li Brannfors (USA) is now the fastest FKT unassisted walker having completed the AAWT walking in 19days.
Beau Miles is the fastest FKT assisted runner completing it in 13days 11hours. (Documentary filmed during/of the run)
Karl Miller still has the fastest FKT unassisted hiker time of 28days 6hrs?

Walker? Hiker?

Please update if these details are incorrect.

Cheers

Thanks Mark you are quite right - corrected to 'FKTs'

Quite a feat. I personally prefer the term "fastest known time" or FKT as there are occasionally people who do remarkable things but don't publicise their efforts.

Unreal daily distances. We were on the track in March, may have just missed them or they passed us in a blur!

There is some more info here:

http://ultra168.com/2016/03/31/paul-cut ... track-fkt/

Why/what's the difference between an unassisted 'walker' and an unassisted 'hiker'? They are both walking - ones backpack is just much larger and much heavier than the others backpack.

I can now see some seasoned UltraTrail runners coming out of the woodwork to topple this FKT.
Stu Gibson where are you? AndyK? AndyH?

Mark F wrote:Quite a feat. I personally prefer the term "fastest known time" or FKT as there are occasionally people who do remarkable things but don't publicise their efforts.

There are also some people who publicise what they do but are suspect of actually having done it. I know of someone who claims to have beaten the 6 foot track marathon fastest time by half an hour but will not enter the race.

GBW wrote:Unreal daily distances. We were on the track in March, may have just missed them or they passed us in a blur!\

Perhaps it was when you were asleep. My partner and I ran the 6 foot track there and back and had to run much of it in the dark. We are not in the same category as these guys.

Yes - could well have passed through the night depending where it was. I think some of Pauls days when the track/navigation was easier were 18hour days.
You'd have to be focused 100% for 11days though - and then cook for dinner, set camp etc. after a BIG day - every day! I've run 100km trails with up to 6kgs (including water)
but running with 10kgs for 11days would be really tough. I think last year a couple of other seasoned, hardcore Ultra Trail Runners attempted it but got smashed by the weather just after Mt. Skene and
pulled out.

Yeah the ability, fitness and mental strength of some of these top UltraTrail runners is freakish. For many the Victorian Alps is their training ground and second home.
ie. As an Ultra race marshall on FeatherTop once I saw one runner reach the summit from Harrietville Caravan Park in 1:17 before continuing on to complete the rest of the 64km run - awesome.

FWIW - 18days 3hrs 36min PB for a friend and I as unassisted hikers… and from reading Hut log books I know of another hiker that was ahead that.

Coincidentally we met and talked with Li Brannfors (on Mt Clear) on our very first AAWT hike (35days) and were inspired by his approach to UL thru-hiking. But while our subsequent personal goal was 21days, circumstances conspired such that we found ourselves well ahead of time - nonetheless Li’s achievement transcend ours, he had just 2 food drops (Thredbo and MtHotham) to our 6… and then there was Beau’s awesome achievement, while he and Li met-up on that same trip, we missed him.

Stew or anyone, how many hours a day do you think these people are running/hiking to make these speedy times.

This is a fascinating thread and timely becuase i just saw someone wanted to do the hike in 25 days and was wondering what they were thinking but now I get it. That is, it is possible - if you are super fit.

Stroller wrote:Stew or anyone, how many hours a day do you think these people are running/hiking to make these speedy times.

Tom & Paul were pushing around 14 hour days (or more).